Railway-switch movement



Y e, WBSTINGHOUSB, Jr. Railway Swiefeh- Movement.

(No Model.)

No, 237,149. Patented Feb. I,188I.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, JR., OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH MOVEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,149, dated February1, 1881.

Application filed December 13, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern: 4

Be it known that I, GEORGE Wnsrnvc- HOUSE, Jr., of Pittsburg, county ofAllegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented 'or discovered anew anduseful Improvementin Railway-Switch Movements; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a partof this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts-Figure 1 is a; side elevation, sectioned, between the cylinders of themain part of the apparatus constituting my improved switch movement.Fig.2 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 3, by a diagram to a reducedscale, illustrates its manner of application.

My present invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus forthe moving of railway-switches by fluid-pressure, in which the switch isshifted to and held to one position or the other, and preferably to itsnormal or usual position, by a Huid-pressure, andis shifted to itsopposite position by an excess of or a greater pressure acting in theopposite direction 5 or, in other words, the switch movement in at leastonerdirection is effected by changing from one direction to another thebalance or excess of two pressures which act simultaneously in differentdirections.

In the drawings, @represents avswitch bar or bridle, through the motionof which the movable rails a a are to be shifted for ordinary switchingpurposes. At about the usual position of the switch-stand, and supportedon any suitable foundation, as on the end of a long tie, A, I arrangethe castor wrought metal bed-piece B, and at each outer end thereof Iprovide a cylinder, of which the one, D, is somewhat larger than theother, D-say of double piston-area, more or less. Each cylinder isfurnished with a piston, d d', and the stems d2 d3 thereof are connectedto the opposite ends of a slotted plate, B', arranged to be moved bysuitable guides or ways back and forth within and lengthwise of thebed-piece B. This plate has an inclined slat, b, terminating instraight-sided end seats, b b2, said slat being the hypotenuse of arightangled triangle, of which the length of motion of the plate lessthe length of the straight-sided seats is the base and the length of themovement of the switch-rails is the altitude. The outer end of theswitch -bridle ais carried out transversely across the bed-piece B andthrough guidingloops b3, and ou its under side is a frictionroller, c,properly secured by a wrist-pin, which roller plays in the slot b as theplate B is moved back and forth.

This apparatus I intend for use chieiiy as a part of a pneumatic orhydraulic apparatus, and in such use I keep the cylinder D continuallycharged with suitable duid-pressure, preferably compressed air, whichmay be introduced from any suitable supply-pipe or headas, for example,a pipe, It, through a branch, It', and port 1';

By preference, the apparatus is so constructed as that this pressureshall, by pushing the piston d forward and pushing the plate B over,hold the movable switch-rails in their normal or usual position oradjustment, which will usually be such as to secure an unbroken maintrack. In this adjustment the frictionroller c will occupy the seat b',and as the sides of this seat are at right angles to the only directionin which the switch-bridle can possibly move the switch is securelylocked, and cannot be shifted except after the release of the pressurein D or' by the application of a more effective or greater pressure inD. The latter is the method which I adopt, and the application ofpressure thereto is governed by any of the known appliances employed forkindred purposes in connection with pneumatic or hydraulic signal andswitch apparatus.

At V, I have represented a valve such as is so used, and which may bearranged at the switchmans stand or cabin or at other convenient point.The operator, by manipulating this valve when he wishes to shift theswitch, turns on the pressure through pipe P and port 1^ back of thepiston d. This pressure may be taken from the head or pipe R or from anyother source. If taken from the same source as that which supplies thecylinder D', the piston d must be larger than d', so that in consequenceof the excess of piston-area the effective pressure in D shall begreater than in D', as a result of which the plate B will be shiftedback, the bridle a shifted, and the switch-rails set to the siding. Asthe roller c will then occupy the other seat, b2, the switch will againbe locked. On the reduction or release of the pressure in D, by againshifting the valve V the pressure in D will again become effective inthrowing the switch back again. But the apparatus may, if preferred, beso organized that when the pressure is applied in D the movable railsshall be set for the maintrack line, in which case they will be shiftedfor a siding-connection by lowering the pressure in D until that in D'so far exceeds it as to be effective in moving the plate B and therebyshifting the switch, and it will also be possible (though usually lesspracticable) to employ different degrees of pressure in the twocylinders, in which case both may be of the same pistonarea; but in suchcase one at least of the two cylinders is to be charged and kept chargedwith a duid-pressure at all times suficient in amount to shift themovable switch in the absence of pressurein the other cylinder; and itwill be within my invention to arrange both pistons on a single stem ina cylinder having a greater diameter at one end than at the other,corresponding to the diameter of the pistons, and so applying thepressures thatone shall act continuously to hold, press, or shift themovable rails in one direction andthe other pressure shall actintermittently, at the pleasure of the operator, to press, hold, orshift them in the reverse direction. Also, the slotted plate may bedispensed with, and the double cylinder and piston device thus made maybe arranged with its stem in line with the throw or motion of theswitchbrid|e, so that, the two being connected together, the latter maybe operated by a direct thrust or pull. Such cylinders and pistons neednot be further d escribed, as they are well known in other branches ofthe arts; nor do I limit myself to the described devices for changingthe direction of motion-viz., by a slotted plate, B-since a bell-crankor other known device suitable for the purpose may be substituted.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In combination with a switch bar orbridle and a device for transmitting a reciprocating motion thereto, adouble cylinder and pistons, and appliances for supplying acontinuouslyacting pressure to one of said pistons in one direction andan intermittently-acting pressure to the other in the other direction,substantially as set forth.

2. The cylinders D D', containing pistons of different areas subject topressure, in combination with slotted plate B' and switch bar or bridlea, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a cylinder, D', having a piston subjectto acontinuous pressure, acylinder, D, having a piston of larger areasubject to an intermittent pressure, a valve de. Vice for governing suchlatter pressure, and suitable means for transmitting the motions of suchpistons to a switch bar or bridle, whereby to shift the movable rails ofa switch, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a switch bar or bridle, a double cylinder andpistons, and means for supplying a continuously-acting pressure to suchpistons in one direction, and, at the pleasure of the operator, anintermittently-acting but greater effective pressure in the otherdirection, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE VVESTINGHOUSE, JR.

Witnesses:

R. H. WHITTLESEY,

.EoRGn H. CHRISTY.

